Wildomar Water Line Leak To Undergo Further Repairs

A water line leak in Wildomar near Como and Central streets was thought to be repaired, but an Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District official says there is more work to be done and some customers will be impacted again this week.

The leak in a 16-inch steel drinking water line left a few homes in the area without service for nearly 24 hours beginning Jan. 16 as EVMWD crews worked to make needed repairs. California Lutheran High School was also affected, but water was high-lined to the campus throughout the process in order to keep the school open.

During the excavation and repair work, one traffic lane was closed on Como Street to minimize the impact on motorists. 

The water was turned back on Jan. 17 for all impacted customers, but those same residents should expect another shutoff this week.

"When the repairs were completed last week, there was still a small weld that was slightly dripping. Unfortunately, the condition of the pipe in one area (the bottom of the pipe) is corroded enough that we will need to expand the length of pipe needing repair," EVMWD spokesman Greg Morrison said via email. 

The tentative plan is to get EVMWD crews back out to the site Jan. 23 to put in a new section of 16-inch water line to correct the problem, Morrison explained.  

"We will be working on preparation of the pipe and getting another portable pump installed during the day on Thursday," he reported. "The actual shutdown of the pipe and work will begin at 9 p.m. on Thursday. We are scheduling this work to be done at night due to the high water demand during the day in this area." 

The same customers who were left without water last week will also be without service during the repairs this week. Also, California Lutheran High School will again be high-lined, according to Morrison.  

"The traffic scenario will also be the same [this week]. We will have one lane closed on Como Street and will be able to maintain two-way traffic on Central Street," Morrison added.

The affected customers will be notified of the interruption in water service and the City of Wildomar will be notified of the scheduled work, he said.

"Again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers and thank them for their patients and understanding," Morrison continued.